


Stay Forever

by orphan_account



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Manchester United, Real Madrid CF, Spanish National Team, Three Amigos, ander is being ander, david is experiencing regret, juan is upset, transfer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-10
Updated: 2015-10-10
Packaged: 2018-04-25 17:47:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4970458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>David's accepted the transfer request to Real Madrid, but is now starting to feel regret about his decision. He needs to see his amigos again on his last day in Manchester-- but something unexpected happens the next morning.</p>
<p>The sequel(ish) to http://archiveofourown.org/works/3962998</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stay Forever

David packed his things and looked back at his bed. It was going to be tough to leave this place. It was where he had finally matured from his lanky, llama-looking, awkward 20-year old self into a slightly more confident, ferrari-driving “best goalkeeper in the world”. It was where he had been dared to steal a donut from Tesco, where he had bought his first real car and where he… had really formed a emotional connection with the club. And now his four-year journey was going to end. This was probably the hardest decision of his life, having to leave the club where he had grown into a man. He wasn’t sure why he wasn’t as happy as he thought he’d be— he still felt empty, as if something wasn’t complete.

This is what you want, David told himself, you can’t stay in Manchester. Boss doesn’t want to play you. You’ve always wanted to go back to friends and family, right? 

He gently folded put in one of his adidas sneakers into his bag when he came across a collection of polaroids. One was of him and Chicharito at the best spanish restaurant in Manchester in the first few weeks when he arrived. Another was of him hugging Sir Alex, just before he left. There was one of him hoisting the League Trophy in the first year he had come. Oh how he missed those days, what it felt like when he actually won things. That’s it, I want to win again, I need to win again with Real Madrid. 

The next photo made him stop in his tracks.

It was the one of his arms wrapped around Juan’s little shoulders, where Juan was wearing his gloves. David had just whispered a spanish pun into his ear and Juan giggled such that David’s big gloves almost fell off his hands. He remembered the club photographer taking the photo and Ander shaking his head with a smile in the behind him. Juan had almost fallen over and David caught him in his arms and chided him not to slip so easily. Juan turned around and gave David a huge hug, which was in fact a pull, and dragged him to the ground. Ander was yelling in between fits of laughter that they had to stop or they would get injured in the dumbest possible way. “I don’t want the headline of the Daily Mail to be 'Mata and De Gea fall on each other, break legs’ tomorrow!”

David smiled reminiscing that memory. Would he ever get that back in Madrid? Of course he would, right? His mind was brought back to the news article of ‘Madristas’ booing Iker Casillas, the man he had looked up to almost all his life. Did he really want that? Or did he want seeing Juan and Ander and his teammates every day? Obviously he would make new friends, but it would be different without Juan. 

He remembered the first day Juan had moved to Manchester, the day that he took him in, and how he showed him around the city. He remembered when he and Juan had been paired to room together in Euro 2012 and the nights they spent talking together. He remembered the day in the Spain under 17 euro cup where they played together and little teenage Juan’s illuminating presence just made everyone around him smile.

And now he was going to leave all of him.

He hadn’t really told anyone that it was confirmed he was leaving yet. His agent had called him a few hours ago explaining the deal, though he wondered why they took so long to deliver the paperwork. 

He should say goodbye and stop wasting time folding clothes. David grabbed the photos and stuffed them in his pocket together with his keys as he rushed out the door. 

As he rushed down the cold dusty street of Manchester, his mind kept rushing with the mental image of a distraught Juan turning away from him, heart broken. He knew he couldn’t face it now. He thought about trying to delay it for as long as possible. 

He hammered the door to Ander’s humble red-brick house. Ander was quick to open the door, and upon seeing David he flashed a smile. “Here to say goodbye, eh?”

David’s mouth was dry. “Wha… How did you know?” Well, Ander always knew. He was a factual straight talker who seemed to know everything about everyone. Although most footballers couldn’t read the newspapers because of how it affected them, Ander could take media pressure really well. He rarely got stressed by any attention surrounding him and would just laugh about how as a Basque kid he was able to survive in Manchester.

“Of course I knew, David. The way you’ve been acting this whole time, plus how Boss acts towards you. Today’s the closing day of the Spanish window, naturally, they’d come calling.”

David was speechless as Ander went in for a Juan-esque hug. “Obviously I don’t want you to go, mi amigo. You guys have been the best thing that happened to me in Manchester.” 

David hugged Ander back. “You’re the first person I’ve told yet… I just don’t know how to deal with this. I mean when I saw the contract I didn’t hesitate to sign it but now I’m just… experiencing so much regret.”

Ander reassured David. “Don’t worry, whatever you do, we’ll have your back. We’re amigos, brother… wait, you mean you haven’t told Juan yet?” Ander smile morphed into one of concern. He was very expressive and you could tell when Ander knew something was up.

“I… I was hoping you could help me. I was just packing and now I realise that the reason I love this place so much also has to do with you guys and, and I thought that I should spend more time with you guys before I dunno, I leave.”

“I’ll go with you now. We need to hang out one last time. When does your flight leave?”

“Uh, tomorrow morning?”

“DAVID!” Ander lifted his arms in desperation. He looked like he’d just been booked. “This is so like you I can’t even right now. Oh gosh, you’ve got to tell Juan!”

“Stop being such a teenage girl Ander, I was just afraid. I hate saying goodbye, and I won’t be able to leave if I see Juan looking so sad…”

“If you leave without seeing him do you know how much regret you’re going to experience? I’m bringing you there now.” 

Ander grabbed David’s arm and pulled him down the street. The cool Manchester breeze was a relief from the rain that lasted the whole of this morning. Ander ran in front of David, who kept his hands in his hoodie pocket. The air was cold but his face was very hot. He could feel his fingers and toes tensing up and his face burning as he was grabbed by the arm by Ander who pulled him over.

Ander slammed his fist against the door and Juan instantly appeared. Juan’s smile quickly disintegrated when he saw David’s face. As they looked into each other’s eyes, it brought them back to that day— they both knew something Ander did not.

“Juan, David’s here to tell you something.” Ander quipped and darted off. Before David had time to react, he was face to face alone again with Juan, who had his arms folded in front of him and face in a little pout.

This was exactly what David had been trying to avoid. He could not stand letting Juan down again. Ander you idiot, come back! he screamed in his mind. 

Juan wasn’t the type of guy who would get angry easily, but he was the type of person who would bottle up his feelings. David knew Juan wasn’t happy with him. He knew something was going on ever since that day at the lake. Juan knew David so well that he probably already knew that he was going to go to Madrid.

“Juan, I have something to tell you…”

“I know already. You don’t have to tell me that. I’ve been thinking about it for so lo—“

David leaned in to Juan. His face rushed with blood and he suddenly felt acutely aware of every capillary that rushed through his cheeks. He felt his face touch his and his face blow up with the feeling of embarrassment and adrenaline. Juan kissed back and then broke away.

“I’ll not have you toy with my feelings David. I love you a lot and I just don’t need this kind of thing distracting me.”

“Juan, I’ll miss you. I love you.”

David then realised why he was really so worried about leaving. He was afraid of leaving his friends, but he was terrified of leaving Juan forever. Leaving him hanging. Without chasing after swans at the lake, without poring through the old abandoned Manchester theme park, without telling him how he felt about everything.

“I’m leaving tomorrow. There’s no time, we have to spend my last night together. Ander’s going to come. It’s the last time the three amigos will be hanging out.”

“David.”

David shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out the photo. He shoved it into Juan’s hand, and Juan could not help but let out a smile. His classic, characteristically happy smile. A single tear rolled down his face.

Juan never cried. He was always happy or annoyed, but never sad. He was always optimistic about everything. Until now. 

Juan’s dusky eyes blinked with tears. He remembered that day again. He remembered when he felt on top of the world with David, and now he was leaving.

“Okay, let’s go do something cool.” Juan smiled a half-smile as he clutched the photo to his chest. He could see through his tears that David was equally emotional. “Go get Ander,”

\---

That night was one of those nights where you forget about everything and live in the moment. They didn’t really do anything special. Night clubs and partying could be done at any time, at any other place in the world. Tonight was just about them, about being together again. That night they sat in a circle in David’s house with the TV on, playing stupid games like Truth and Dare and having a mini-Mario Kart tournament. They all looked through David’s things together. They’d even ordered a pizza (it had to be a less-oil, no red meat, no GMO-food pizza, at Ander’s request), with Ander chastising everyone on how Ronaldo never ate pizza and Juan trying to remind him that Rooney could still down five pints if he wanted to. They listened to Joy Division and the Stone Roses, Juan’s proclaimed ‘Best Bands of Manchester’ as they talked about La Liga and about Chelsea’s title hopes for the season. They fell asleep watching the 2012-2013 season, with Juan lying on David’s lap and his arms surrounding him like warm, fuzzy blanket and Ander occasionally waking up David’s puppy with his snoring. 

\----

The next morning was chaos.

David had turned his phone off last night because he didn’t want to be distracted from his amigos. But what he didn’t expect was 139 missed calls from his agent. Ander was the first to wake them up at 4.30am, even though the alarm had been set at 6.45 for David’s flight. “David your deal’s… been called off! Real don’t want you.”

“What are you talking about? I signed the paperwork and— what?” David gently petted Juan’s arms as he lay in his lap, and ruffled his hair. Juan squeezed and constricted himself into a little ball as he snuggled up closer to David. 

“Look at this!” Ander was practically yelling.

“I don’t think you should wake him up. He’s going to get stressed. He’s so delicate.” David whispered.

“They’re calling it the most messed up transfer in history— the way Perez handled it, the way Woodward handled it- the transfer’s fallen through!” Ander was adamant about it. He couldn’t believe it was happening because nothing before had happened like this apparently.

“David you’d better talk to your agent before he breaks into the house and finds out we’ve been eating junk food.” Ander grumbled as he raced to switch the television on to the news.

Maybe it was because it was 4.32am, but David’s mind just kept drawing blanks. Was he happy notgo to Real and stay here? But he had gone through so much emotional trauma preparing himself to leave, and now he had to pretend that it had all never happened? He made Juan feel terrible for the past 3 weeks, for nothing?

He looked down at him sleeping. Juan looked so innocent and unknowing, dreaming of the idea that this was their last night together. That night after the match against Liverpool was probably replaying in his mind right now. He felt like this when they went back home.

Ander looked at him. “What are you gonna do now?”

David stared into space and felt a very lost, as if he was alone and the world was against him. 

“I’m going to stay here until Juan wakes up. If I stay in Manchester I’ll stay by him. Hand me my phone.”

“Let me help you,” Ander offered.

So there they were, the three amigos sitting- or lying- in David’s living room floor before dawn talking to his agent about the most juicy transfer story the media had laid their eyes on this window ad they tried to make sense of it all. Juan snored in the background, gently settling any tension or fear that David had.

Although he was pained about not being able to move to Spain, he knew that in his heart this was a sign. He never should have tried to go in the first place. As he looked around, he knew this was home.

He was relieved beyond doubt to have been given a second chance.

And now maybe he could get a second chance with him. As David’s alarm rang and the sun rose, Juan stretched his arms and rose with a yawn. 

“Oh wow, look at that sunrise.” he mumbled. Juan looked up at that llama-like beard and stroked it gently. “So I guess we should get ready to go, then?” 

“I’m not going anywhere.” David mumbled back as he nuzzled his nose against his,

Ander groaned in the background. “I’m right here guys, I went to sleep early last night for a reason.” He rolled his eyes sarcastically as Juan’s face eyebrows warped into one of confusion.

“Wait.. what?”

“Go back to sleep,” David tucked Juan’s hair behind his ear as Juan sneezed a little and David giggled.

“Just know I’ll be here when you wake up."

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of the epic transfer saga that David endured throughout the whole of last season and September. Sorry this is so late, I had to clear exams before I could pen down my thoughts on how I felt about this!
> 
> Thank goodness David signed a new contract after all this mess :)


End file.
